Mumbai coronavirus update: 99% ICU beds in hospitals are occupied, says BMC

• Mumbai, India's financial hub, recorded over 35,000 coronavirus cases
• Out of 645 ICU beds in Mumbai, 99% were occupied, according to the data released by BMC

As the number of coronaivirus cases continued to surge rapidly in Maharashtra, almost all intensive care unit (ICU) beds for COVID-19 patients were occupied, according to the data released by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, news agency ANI reported.

The municipal and state-run hospitals accounted for 645 ICU beds while the number of patients requiring critical care was clearly five times over. As of Wednesday, 99% of these ICU beds under BMC were already occupied.

At least 65% of the total 4,292 beds with oxygen support, were occupied by critical patients. The city already used 72% of the total 373 ventilators available for COVID-19 treatment.

Mumbai, India's financial hub, recorded over 35,000 coronavirus cases. At least 1,438 tested positive for novel coronavirus in last 24 hours. The total number of coronavirus cases in the state inched towards 60,000-mark. The number of deaths in Maharashtra rose to 1,982. Mumbai's COVID-19 death toll crossed 1,000 this week. On Wednesday, the state reported 105 deaths, highest in India in a single day.

Also read: Lockdown extension: Focus on Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and 10 other cities

As many as 116 police personnel tested positive for coronavirus in Maharashtra in last 24 hours. The total number of COVID-19 infected personnel stood at 2,211 in the state. At least 25 policemen succumbed to death.

Last week, the municipal corporation of greater Mumbai took over 80% of the beds in private hospitals in the Mumbai metropolitan region. This added 645 more beds for coronavirus patients, taking the total ICU beds to 1,289.

BMC has decided to occupy 600 more ICU beds over the next month as it sets up health facilities across the city. “We will be increasing the ICU bed capacity to nearly 1,000 shortly, in the private and jumbo health facilities. Most of the beds have oxygen supply and are fully equipped, and should be adequate for taking care for patients suffering from monsoon-related diseases as well," said Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner at BMC.

According to a report in Mint, the Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation also had a plan to add 40 new Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds at the National Sports Complex of India (NSCI) in Worli. “While the construction of 40-bed ICU at the corona care centre at NSCI in Worli is in full swing, various works at Mahalakshmi Racecourse facility are also nearing completion," said BMC commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal.

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